Motion

Holding Ministers to Account

Motion TitleHolding Ministers to Account

Motion TextThat this Assembly recognises that the current structure of government in Northern Ireland makes it impossible to fully hold Ministers to account for their actions; expresses concern that, under existing structures, it is not guaranteed that Ministers will be removed from office even when found to have breached the Ministerial Code or broken the law; agrees that a programme of institutional reform is required to overcome these challenges; and calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to bring forward proposals for Executive and Assembly reform, which upholds the stability of the institutions, while also ensuring that ministers are effectively held to account for their actions.

Motion CategoryPrivate Members' Motion

Motion TypeOpposition business

Date Tabled to Business Office03/11/2025

Date Selected By Committee04/11/2025

Date of Plenary Debate10/11/2025

View Official Report

Tabled By

Member Name	Tabled As
Mr Matthew O'Toole	MLA - South Belfast

Bills

Outcome/Voting

72 Members voted

42 Members voted AYE

30 Members voted NO

The Motion Was Carried, Simple Majority Lobby Division

MLA Name	Designation	Voted
Dr Steve Aiken OBE	Unionist	NO
Dr Caoimhe Archibald	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Kellie Armstrong	Other	AYE
Mr Danny Baker	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Doug Beattie MC	Unionist	NO
Mr Cathal Boylan	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Paula Bradshaw	Other	AYE
Mr Phillip Brett	Unionist	NO
Mr David Brooks	Unionist	NO
Ms Cheryl Brownlee	Unionist	NO
Mr Keith Buchanan	Unionist	NO
Mr Tom Buchanan	Unionist	NO
Mr Jonathan Buckley	Unionist	NO
Mr Jon Burrows	Unionist	NO
Mr Robbie Butler	Unionist	NO
Mrs Pam Cameron	Unionist	NO
Mr Gerry Carroll	Other	AYE
Mr Alan Chambers	Unionist	NO
Mr Trevor Clarke	Unionist	NO
Mr Pádraig Delargy	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Stewart Dickson	Other	AYE
Mrs Diane Dodds	Unionist	NO
Miss Jemma Dolan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Danny Donnelly	Other	AYE
Mr Mark Durkan	Nationalist	AYE
Mrs Sinéad Ennis	Nationalist	AYE
Mrs Deborah Erskine	Unionist	NO
Mrs Ciara Ferguson	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Aoife Finnegan	Nationalist	AYE
Miss Órlaithí Flynn	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Diane Forsythe	Unionist	NO
Mr Paul Frew	Unionist	NO
Mr Timothy Gaston	Unionist	NO
Mr Colm Gildernew	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Paul Givan	Unionist	NO
Mrs Michelle Guy	Other	AYE
Miss Deirdre Hargey	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Harry Harvey	Unionist	NO
Mr David Honeyford	Other	AYE
Ms Cara Hunter	Nationalist	AYE
Mr William Irwin	Unionist	NO
Mr Declan Kearney	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Gerry Kelly	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Brian Kingston	Unionist	NO
Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly	Unionist	NO
Mr Gordon Lyons	Unionist	NO
Mr Declan McAleer	Nationalist	AYE
Miss Nuala McAllister	Other	AYE
Mr Daniel McCrossan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Patsy McGlone	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Colin McGrath	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Maolíosa McHugh	Nationalist	AYE
Miss Michelle McIlveen	Unionist	NO
Ms Sinéad McLaughlin	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Andrew McMurray	Other	AYE
Mr Peter Martin	Unionist	NO
Mrs Cathy Mason	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Nick Mathison	Other	AYE
Mr Gary Middleton	Unionist	NO
Mr Andrew Muir	Other	AYE
Ms Sian Mulholland	Other	AYE
Miss Áine Murphy	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Mike Nesbitt	Unionist	NO
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Kate Nicholl	Other	AYE
Mr John O'Dowd	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Matthew O'Toole	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Aisling Reilly	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Alan Robinson	Unionist	NO
Mr Pat Sheehan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr John Stewart	Unionist	NO
Mr Eóin Tennyson	Other	AYE

Amendments

Number	Tabled Date	Amendment Text
1	06/11/2025	Leave out all after ‘broken the law;’ and insert: ‘refers to the Assembly and Executive Review Committee for consideration, the matter of reforms which uphold the principles and protections of the Good Friday Agreement, and ensure the stability of the political institutions while holding ministers to account for their actions; and calls on the Committee to urgently bring forward meaningful proposals for reform on this matter.’
2	06/11/2025	Leave out all after ‘First Minister and deputy First Minister’ and insert: ‘to respect the role of the Commissioner for Standards when it comes to investigating breaches of the Ministerial Code as required by section 5 of the Functioning of Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2021.’

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